Went out today to put the new tags on the 84 Brat, and drive it a little. (she sits most of the time.) And she wouldn't start. Turn the key, and I can hear a click from (i think) the starter. Car has power, I even swapped batteries just to be sure, and she does the same thing.

Now, it has done this a couple of times before, but usually if I switch it on and off a couple of times, she'll decide to start. Not this time. Just one single click, not a machine gun clicking, from the starter. Tried whacking it with a BFH, no go.

Ideas on my best course of action? Is this a solenoid? bad starter?

Help please

sounds like a starter relay.

 

you can jump the starter by running a wire to the tab on the back. i like to run a push-button start switch to the terminal

You mean run a wire from the batt to the tab via a pushbutton?

Hmm, I could try that.

you can run the wire to the swithch from inside, if you like, you can tap into the fuse panel from a "Hot at all times" wire.

 

you can just jump a wire from under the hood to verify the starter still works before you do all that wiring.

 

go from the fuse panel to the switch, and bring the wire from the switch thru the speedo or clutch cable grommet(or thru the steering shaft, but tie it up so it doesnt get twisted with the steering shaft

OK, tried a straight jump to see if that worked, and it didn't.

Still get the single click. Bad solenoid or starter?

bad starter contacts, Happens often with EA81'S. Get another from the junkyard and save yourself the headache and pissing around with this one and the expense of a new one. Boz

pull the starter, pull the cover off the contact area, pull the plunger out, you will see the contacts, the one the batt cable hooks to is probly worn more than the other side. get a peice of copper stock about the same thickness as the contact, bend it, shape it, drill it, mount it, button every thing back up. Put it on the brat and should be good to go, just did all this on monday to my 84 brat, works like a new starter for NO money at all, just time. If that all sounds confusing you'll see what I mean when you pull it all apart, hope that helps:bday:

Cool! I'll take a look at it.

Mick, I also shot you an E-mail to see if you had an extra starter I could buy. Never hurts to have a backup.

At least the starters on Soobs are super easy to get at. Beats trying to pry the starter out from behind the header on my Fairmont!

And of course, now that I have repairs to do, we're finally getting snow tonight. Oh well, guess I'll play in Eyesore instead.